Generation of high-power spatially-restructurable spectrally-tunable beams in a multi-arm-cavity vecsel-based laser system

Abstract

A collinear T-cavity VECSEL system generating intracavity Hermite-Gaussian modes at multiple wavelengths, configured to vary each of these wavelengths individually and independently. A mode converter element and / or an astigmatic mode converter is / are aligned intracavity to reversibly convert the Gaussian modes to HG modes to Laguerre-Gaussian modes, the latter forming the system output having any of the wavelengths provided by the spectrum resulting from nonlinear frequency-mixing intracavity (including generation of UV, visible, mid-IR light). The laser system delivers Watt-level output power in tunable high-order transverse mode distribution.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application claims priority form and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. 62 / 437,452 filed on Dec. 21, 2016, and No. 62 / 569,891 filed on Oct. 9, 2017. The disclosure of each of the above-identified patent documents is incorporated by reference herein.RELATED ART[0002]In various contexts, optics as technology enabling the development of many industrial fields can be greatly enriched with the ability to produce a variety of novel laser beams that include Hermite-Gaussian (HG), Laguerre-Gaussian (LG), Bessel, Airy, and Helmholtz beams, to name just a few.[0003]The Laguerre-Gaussian beams—that is, laser beams having a transverse distribution of optical power (interchangeably referred to herein as transverse modes) described by LG functions—are probably the most prolific realizations in practice. The beams with LG transverse modes have been used to enhance the information capacity of both classical and quantum commun...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a laser source that includes a laser cavity network with two spatially-distinct cavity arms and a collinear portion. The laser source also includes an optical system with a first optical system and a second optical system. The first optical system is disposed across the collinear portion and has an optical axis that is aligned with the collinear portion. The second optical system contains a plurality of spatially-distributed optical elements that are non-uniformly distributed and designed to transform the light in a specific way. The laser source can produce a laser output with a specific mode distribution and can be tuned to different wavelengths. The technical effects of the invention include improved laser performance and stability, as well as improved mode control and wavelength tuning.

Problems solved by technology

Despite familiarity with LG modes in applied and basic science, no unified optical source configured to generate laser beam(s) in such modes at high-power levels while permitting for spectral tunability of the laser beam(s) exists up to-date: a few known attempts to generate LG laser beams produced results limited in power and / or operating wavelength range.

Likewise, although specific lasers can be coaxed to operate on LG modes, such a solution imposes a limit on the spectral tenability of the produced LG-laser beams and requires a multiplicity of the laser sources that inevitably drives up the costs of the overall system.

Despite significant interest in generation of laser light in LG modes, the generation of high power, high efficiency beams remains a major challenge.

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